Book Review: The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

By Jim Dean, July 13, 2015

Fab to have teenager Lily reviewing the new Patrick Ness book for us – I’m really looking forward to this one!

The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness will change the way you think about the apocalypse. Remember those ‘indie kids’ in every post-apocalyptic book? They’re the ones that always save the world from the vampires and the ghosts; everything begins with society casting them out, and then they save the world and are welcomed with open arms. These events generally happen centre-stage … Not this time however, here, the end of the world happens in the background. It’s obviously not an everyday event so why dwell on it?

Everyday events can be just as difficult to deal with, maybe even more so than the end of earth. Because each person has their own world to live in, where the view is completely different; a loved one having a heart attack could seem like the end of a person’s world. Having someone turn down a friendship offer could seem like the end of their own universe; and the stages woking up to the delivery of that offer can be just as hard to cope with as the stages leading up to the literal end of earth. The Rest of Us Just Live Here is about the ‘non-indie kids’; the ones who don’t ever save the world but who have to handle to realistic struggles of life. The apocalypse happens in the background.

This book is like nothing you have ever read. It will blow your mind and transform your perspective on so many different subjects. The incredible storyline and the wonderful, relatable characters have been woven together to create a unique and extraordinary work of fiction that you will not forget.